Trending
ESCANABA -- Billerud has released details of action it has taken to address blastomycosis cases at the Escanaba mill.
Since first learning of atypical pneumonia cases among Escanaba mill workers from the Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties (PHDM), Billerud has proactively implemented a plan to protect worker safety and identify the source of these illnesses. Initial testing of individuals by their medical providers has confirmed that some of these cases are caused by a rare fungal disease called blastomycosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), blastomycosis is not contagious and doesn't spread from person to person or between animals and people, company officials stated in a news release issued Wednesday.
"The strength of the mill and our community is its people," said Brian Peterson, operations vice president and manager, Billerud Escanaba Mill. "Getting to the bottom of this issue, protecting our employees and contractors' health and safety, and returning employees and contractors to full health is the first and last thing we're talking about each day at the Escanaba Mill. I can assure everyone that our people come first -- we care deeply about their well-being and in close coordination with our union leaders and health officials, are doing everything we can to protect them, and identify and address the root cause of these infections. We're all in this together."
To date, there have been 19 confirmed cases of blastomycosis among Escanaba employees, which includes hourly, salary and contractors. A confirmed case is a person with symptoms of blastomycosis and where the fungus has either been grown (culture) or seen by microscope in a test specimen. In addition to the 19 confirmed cases, 74 people have been classified as probable cases. A probable case is a person with symptoms of blastomycosis and who has a positive antigen or antibody test.
Blastomyces: A Known Risk Factor in the UP
According to the PHDM, the Upper Peninsula is a known risk area for the blastomyces fungus, which grows in moist soil and decomposing matter such as wood and leaves that can become airborne if disturbed.
"Identifying the source can be difficult because the blastomyces fungus is endemic to our area and there has never been an industrial outbreak of this nature documented anywhere in the U.S from which we can learn," said Peterson. "Furthermore, according to NIOSH, there are no commercially available labs that can test the presence of the blastomyces fungus. Nonetheless, we are making every effort to identify exposures common among ill Escanaba team members."
Billerud Partners With health experts
Billerud requested assistance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on March 16.
"We have been proactively and diligently working with NIOSH, the PHDM, the CDC, an industrial hygienist, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to investigate the outbreak and we are following recommendations from experts within these organizations, including implementing numerous, proactive steps to protect the health and safety of our employees, contractors and visitors," said Peterson.
Billerud has taken the following steps:
– Retained an industrial hygienist and are consulting with the above organizations on actions and plans during the investigation. The investigation is ongoing and will likely take some time to complete.
– Conducted deep cleaning in high traffic areas throughout the mill, inspected ventilation systems and replaced filters, and tested various raw materials coming into the mill.
– Conducted a preliminary onsite Health Hazard Evaluation to study the health and safety of the Escanaba mill employees. The evaluation team consisted of 10 investigators from NIOSH, CDC, MDHHS, and PHDM. These experts met with members of Billerud management, the mill's occupational health and safety team, union representatives, and employees. The evaluation will continue as the NIOSH team analyzes data and reviews case investigation information.
– Encouraged all employees, contractors, and visitors to wear NIOSH and OSHA-recommended N95 masks and provided information on how to properly wear the mask.
– Communicated the symptoms of blastomycosis to workers and visitors, recommending they contact their local healthcare providers if they are experiencing any of these symptoms.
Blastomycosis symptoms and treatment
While symptoms of blastomycosis are often non-specific, they most commonly include cough, fever, chest pain, muscle or joint pain, shortness of breath, weight loss, night sweats, and fatigue. Symptoms can appear between three weeks to three months after exposure. Blastomycosis can be treated with antifungal medications prescribed by a medical provider and are especially effective if treated soon after symptoms begin.
"Billerud is continuing to monitor cases and adjust our plans as needed to protect the health and safety of our employees, contractors and visitors," said Peterson. "Again, the strength of our mill and the community is our people. I want to thank our mill workers, local union leaders, federal, state and local public health officials for their hard work as we continue to work through this investigation. As a community, we have persevered through a lot over the years, and we are committed to seeing this through."
More information about blastomycosis can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/blastomycosis/index.html.